The Episcopalians Have Their Marching Orders. Not from the Bible, Silly

Just days after the U.S. Supreme Court pretended to discover a right to gay marriage in the Constitution, the Episcopalians discovered a reason to allow religious same-sex ceremonies in the Bible.

Just as the court didn't really pretend to actually point to anything in the Constitution all that seriously, the Episcopalians didn't really point to the Bible.

Episcopalians voted overwhelmingly Wednesday to allow religious weddings for same-sex couples, solidifying the church's embrace of gay rights that began more than a decade ago with the pioneering election of the first openly gay bishop.

The vote came in Salt Lake City at the Episcopal General Convention, just days after the U.S. Supreme Court legalized gay marriage nationwide. It passed in the House of Deputies, the voting body of clergy and lay participants at the meeting. The House of Bishops had approved the resolution Tuesday by 129-26 with five abstaining.

The Rev. Brian Baker of Sacramento said the church rule change was the result of a nearly four-decade long conversation that has been difficult and painful for many.